


Grendel Will Not Remember That

by Hawkscape



Category: Fables: The Wolf Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Drunkenness, Feels, Gen or Pre-Slash, Grief/Mourning, Innuendo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24956647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkscape/pseuds/Hawkscape
Summary: Bigby has to walk a drunken Grendel home from a bar. Maybe they'll find out they're both not as much of an asshole as the other thought? Or maybe not.
Relationships: Grendel/Bigby Wolf
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	Grendel Will Not Remember That

Bigby took a drag from his cigarette looking up at the sign of the Trip Trap bar before sighing and stamping the smoke out. He walked up to the door with the closed sign on it. He listened. Could hear some mumbled words, but mostly silence. He knocked. Holly quickly opened the door and she didn't smile at him but she didn't hold any distaste for him either. Honestly, after getting her shot at her own sister's funeral, he counted himself lucky to get neutrality. “Almost didn’t think you’d come.”

Couldn't blame her for that either. With the help of Snow, they'd been steadily improving his responses to the less well off fables, but it was still a slow process and he was only one guy. “I was in the area.” He was actually almost about to pass out in his apartment when Snow called him, but same thing.

She huffed like she didn't believe him either as she led him into the bar to see no one but a very drunk Grenel. Bigby knew he was drunker than normal because he actually smiled at him and raised his half empty glass. “Ayeeee Sheriff...howr you?”

Had not seen Grendel this drunk in possibly ever. Holly crossed her arms. “Usually I just let him sleep it off in the back on the extra cot but I have to go somewhere tonight and most of tomorrow and while I love gren to death I don't trust him unsupervised around my alcohol for that long especially when he's already like this. Could you take him home for me?”

Gren sneered and attempted to snap to get the wolfs attention. “Hey, I'm talking to you.”

Bigby nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. You look pretty fine yourself.”

Grendel pulled back with an odd look. “You- what? You coming onto me?”

The wolf grimaced as he realized that came out wrong. “No, I'm not. I'm just saying you're very drunk.”

“Weird way to put it.” He grumbled and turned back to the bar.   
The sheriff turned back to Holly. “Yeah, I'll get him home, don't worry.”

She nodded before thinning her lips. “Thanks.” She glared. “If anything happens to him, I’ll fuck you up.”

“Noted.” Bigby nodded.

He walked closer to Gren and Holly went to his other side. “Alright Gren, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. I'm gonna hand you off to Bigby.”

Gren slid around on his stool to look loose necked at the wolf. “Aw, big bad wolf gonna babysit me?”

“Yes.”

Grendel's scared face twisted up as he started laughing. “Damn wolf, not pulling any punches.”

He shrugged. “Too late for that shit.”

Grendel looked blurrily into the middle distance as he rubbed his face and tried to sit up. “Damn, how late is it?”

“Three in the morning.” Holly chimed.

Grendel rubbed his hand down his face again. “Fuck. I'm losing my touch.” He turned to Holly. “I can fucking get home by myself, I’m a fucking mon-“ He tried to stand up to prove something but the room tilted on him and he started to pitch sideways.

Bigby quickly grabbed the back of his coat and arm to keep him standing. “Whoa there.”

“Shit.” The man said as he was suddenly prevented from his face hitting the floor boards. “Fuck…” He tried to keep his vision straight as he looked up at the sheriff. “You've always been this...big?”

Bigby stood him up straighter and pulled an arm over his neck with a grunt at the awkwardness. “Some would say it's a defining quality of mine.”

Gren leaned on him heavily, trying not to show that he was. Seemed like his easily collapsible legs weren’t doing much of a good job. “Fuck…I dont need a fucking baby sitter...but you don't make a bad walking stick.” He tried to smile roguishly but with his closed lids he just seemed completely hammered. Because he was.

Bigby readjusted his grip. “I'll put that on my resume. See you around Holly.”

Gren tried to wave with his free arm. “Later Holl.”

Bigby maneuvered them out the door and into the darkness. He sighed into the mildly cold air. “Okay Gren, where is your apartment?”

“Fuckin uh…” He looked around blurrily. “Left?”

Bigby lifted his head to the sky and sighed. “Jesus christ, you're killin me Gren.”

The drunk man. “Fuckin, no one asked you to-“

Bigby looked down at his eyes, not yellow but still glinting in the moonlight. Gren stopped talking and clicked his mouth shut. “Holly asked me to.”

Grendel sighed and looked away. “Fucking...fine.” He motioned to the left. “It's on Elderberry street, I can't remember the number but, fuckin...when I see the door I'll know it.”

Bigby sighed. Guessed they were walking then. Not like he had cab money anyway. “Worse comes to worst, we can just start trying your key in locks.”

Gren snorted against his will. They started stumbling down the street. Well, more like Gren stumbled and Bigby kept the both of them from going over onto the pavement. Honestly, he had half a mind to just pick the guy up and carry him. He wondered if they'd be able to pass this walk in silence. Normally, Gren was a pretty stoic guy but the drunker he got the chattier he got to and there was no way to tell where his moods would swing. Bigby would just count himself lucky if he didn't have to fight the man tonight. 

Gendel started mumbling half to himself. “Holly…’sso fucking good. So fucking nice. I don't deserve her. Don't know why she deals with my sorry ass...fucking up her bar.”

Looks like Bigby was gonna have to play shoulder to cry on as well as one to lean on. “Holly’s your friend. It's what friends do. They look out for each other.” Eugh. Sounded so cheezy. At least the guy probably wouldn't even remember this conversation in the morning.

Gren looked up to him before squinting. “Why do you do it?”

“What?” Bigby hummed questioningly. 

“Why do you help people? Cause you don't have friends. Wait, shit, that sounded bad I didn't mean that...no one likes you I just meant that...you also don't like anyone else…is what I meant.”

Bigby would have been insulted if Grendel meant it. He adjusted the man's grip on his shoulder. “It's my job.”

Grendel scoffed and adjusted himself back to the uncomfortable position again. somehow not on purpose. “Bullshiiiiiiiiiiiit. Wasn’t your job to promise Holly the body or not be an asshole and just strong arm everyone. Could just snap your little wolf fingers and everyone would give you what you wanted. But’chu don't do that. You try to not bite people's heads off. You're not actually that much of an asshole.” Bigby supposed he had to take what he could get. He actually almost smiled at that. “Buuuut no one liksh you. Because everyone thinks you're an asshole. But then everyone wants your help anyway. Fuckin’ hypocrits.”

Bigby sighed and made note that they were close to the Woodlands. He sighed putting a pin in whatever he was saying for now. “Look. We’re near the Woodlands. If you want I can just let you crash there.”

Gren sneered. “I’m not fucking beggin Snow to sleep in an unused room like a dog.”

Bigby blinked. “ I sleep in a chair actually, and I ment at my place.”

“That shit hole?” Gren raised an eyebrow.

Bigby huffed and readjusted the sliding man, putting an arm around his waist so he would stop fucking sliding down. “Sorry, I asked.”

Gren shook his head a bit too, freely like something was rattling around in his skull. “Naw, I just met I didn’ know you lived there. Figured you are able to get someplace better. Then again, makes sense Snow wants her lap dog close.” He shook his head. “Shit, I didn't mean dog cause you're a dog, it was figures of speech ya?” He mumbled to himself. “You're not even a dog, you're a wolf...not even the same thing.”

Bigby would say he was losing his patience if he hadn’t already misplaced it about three blocks back. “Do you want to sleep on my shitty chair or do you wanna limp the rest of the way home?” As much as Bigby didn't want this guy staying in his house for the night, he wanted this to be over so he could get some sleep himself a little more.

Grendel shrugged as good as he could while still being mostly held up by Bigby. “Uh sure...thanks.” He seemed a little stunned by the offer. So much so he was accidentally polite.

The gate and steps were a trip, but once they got to the elevator it was easier especially because he could lean Grendel on the wall to support him slightly. “There’s a spider on the ceiling...wonder if it gets sick going up and down all day?” The drunk informed him.

Bigby didn't think he'd ever seen him this out of it. He’d seen him drunk sure and not in his right mind, but this was like he wasn't even himself anymore. Wasn't really his business but you could say all of fabletown was his business. Whether he wanted it to be or not. 

The elevator dinged as it came to his floor. Grendel seemed to not notice, still having a staring contest with the spider. “Come on.”

The man grunted and stumbled as he was pulled along. “Geeze slow down, the floor’s uneven enough without me being trashed.”

“S’cuse me for prying.” He said sarcastically. “But why are you even in need of my escort services tonight? Your tolerance could rivel a rhino.”

Grendel scrunched up his face. “Do you even listen to the shit you say? Gods.”

The wolf rolled his eyes, past this shit about 45 minutes ago. “I’m just sayin this seems a little more than your average Thursday night.”

The man sneered. “You don't know shit. Stop trying to investigate me.” He tried to push Bigby away in frustration but didn't get very far and just kinda pushed against him slightly before giving up.

“You really think this is part of my job? Holly could have just called you a taxi. It's not my job to care about you guys, but I do anyway and I want to make sure a small problem doesn’t become a big problem later on.”

Grendel huffed. “Good for you for giving a shit…” He said it sarcastically, but then he seemed to sag and turn on a dime. “...it's hard to do. Just hurts you.” Bigby knew when to be quiet. When people would talk if he just gave them enough space too. “...It’s Lily's birthday.” 

Bigby's face fell. “...I’m sorry.”  
“...Yeah. You know from anyone else I'd call bullshit, but...yah...you are.” He said it uncharacteristically quiet. “S’why Holly’s leaving for a few days...and why I'm not going with her. Don't need to bother her with my bullshit along with this shit.” He sighed. “Ugh. Fuck if I start crying knock me the fuck out please. I am giving you permission.”

Bigby nodded. “Noted. But sometimes you gotta deal with shit you don't want to...others can make it easier.”

“Aw, Bigs, are you my fwend?” Grendel's face sneered. 

The man was too drunk to be having any kind of deep conversation. Bigby didn't know why he tried. Luckily they were at his house finally. “The best of friends, now stay standing long enough to get the door unlocked.”

Grendel blew air out his nose and leaned against the peeling wallpaper. “I may be wasted but I'm well practiced.” He was still somehow swaying even though he was standing still. He eventually got the sticky door open and Grendel was actually able to make it in his own power into the room mostly due to the fact he had things to hang onto now, but he was trying to play it casual.

“So I got a recliner and a bathtub. Recliner’s more comfortable, but bathtub’s actually horizontal.”

Grendel looked at him expectantly before blinking and releasing he was finished speaking. “Are- are you serious? Do you not have a fucking bed?” He laughed nervously.

Bigby shrugged. “Dogs sleep on chairs all the time.”

“Oh shut the fuck up.” He said half laughing despite himself. “I'll take the bathroom. Think I’ll need it in a few hours…”

He stumbled into the bathroom and fumbled around before finding the lightswitch and collapsing into a pile of limbs into the tub. Bigby almost wished he'd cleaned that recently. Almost. “Don't throw up in my sink.”

“Fuck you.” He replied, his verbal brain functions quickly leaving him.

Bigby didn't take it personal before he shifted around in his closet for some blankets. Why did he even have these? He never really got cold. Mighta been here from the previous tenant to be honest.

He walked in and tossed the blankets onto the very uncomfortable looking form of Gren. The man groaned and stared at him with his one good eye. “-e fuck?” He realised the man had given him blankets. “Hm?” He looked confused.

Bigby shrugged. “Night Grendel.” He clicked off the light as he presumed correctly Grendel was gone enough to ignore it even if it was on. He closed the door most of the way.

“...Thanks Bigby.”

He probably wouldn't have caught it without his enhanced hearing but it did make him pause. He couldn't help but smile slightly. Even if it was from an addled mind of someone who didn't like him very much it was nice. He hoped Gren be as amicable when he woke up, but somehow he doubted it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bigby awoke with a crick in his neck like he did every morning. What wasn't like every morning was the crash coming from his bathroom. He blinked and stretched before standing up and making his way to the bathroom. He found a squinting and snarling Gendal on the other side trying to undo the top of a pill bottle.

He put on his most sarcastic grin. “Good morning.”

Grendel looked confused. “Big-by?” He looked around himself and behind the man suddenly realizing he had no idea where he was. “What that fuck?” He seemed to be struggling to think at all and Bigby had half a mind to exclaim something about them getting married the night before, but he decided against it. He actually liked most of his walls being intact.

He sniffed. “You gotta push down and then turn it c-”

“I KNOW HOW PILL BOTTLES WORK!”

Bigby put his hands up and walked into his kitchen. This morning was going to be fun, he could already tell. Eh, he didn't have anything else planed for the day anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments fuel me!  
> Feel free to message me!  
> I also make drawings and animations!  
> https://www.youtube.com/c/HawkScape  
> http://hawkscape.deviantart.com/


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